Chasidut su Salmi 121:78
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 6,23. “the Lord spoke to Moses, saying speak to Aaron and his sons saying: thus you shall bless the Children of Israel saying to them.”
The Baal Shem Tov used the above verse repeatedly to tell his listeners that psalms 121,5 in which the psalmist describes the Lord as being our protective angel and likening Him to a shadow, i.e. ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “Hashem your shadow on your right side.” A shadow always follows precisely what the owner of the shadow is doing. Similarly, what G’d does reflects exactly what man had done before. Seeing that this is so, it is imperative that man donates to charity, displays compassion with the ones less fortunate than he by performing kind deeds for them, as G’d, seeing this will reciprocate in kind with people who do this. The attribute of G’d that we described as “shadow,” and which David called צל, is known as כה, usually translated as “thus.”
It is well known that the Creator, blessed be His name, is most concerned with doing “good” for His people Israel, as our sages said: “the mother cow is more concerned with giving milk to feed her calf than the calf is desirous of suckling at her teats.”
When man stands in prayer he must recite 18 benedictions, not because otherwise G’d would not grant him his requests, but we must do so in order for G’d to experience joy and satisfaction from us, His creatures.
We must always remember what the sages taught in Avot 2,8 that even if we think that we have studied a great amount of Torah we should not compliment ourselves for this, for all we did was what we have been created to do. Man’s deeds have one purpose and one purpose only, to provide satisfaction for the Creator who gave him life. When man prays (utters requests), he thereby turns himself into a “recipient.” When someone wishes to receive something he extends his hand heavenwards and the back of his hand earthward. When he prays intending to provide his Creator with satisfaction, instead of being a petitioner he turns himself into a “donor.”
The major symbol of the priestly blessings consists of their raising their hands with the backs of their hands facing their faces like someone about to dispense gifts, heavenwards, and the palms of their hands open, pointed earthwards, suggesting that they are about to dispense largesse.
The real interpretation of the verse: כה תברכו את בני ישראל, is: “thus you shall bless the Children of Israel in order that the Creator shall have pleasure from them and in order that thereby you will become dispenser of pleasure instead of remaining petitioners waiting for a Divine handout.” As a consequence of this, the Creator will feel encouraged to dispense all manner of blessings on Israel. This is the meaning of the attribute described here as כה, i.e. just as Israel does something for the pleasure of G’d, so He, in turn, will reciprocate by doing things for Israel, His people.
The Baal Shem Tov used the above verse repeatedly to tell his listeners that psalms 121,5 in which the psalmist describes the Lord as being our protective angel and likening Him to a shadow, i.e. ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “Hashem your shadow on your right side.” A shadow always follows precisely what the owner of the shadow is doing. Similarly, what G’d does reflects exactly what man had done before. Seeing that this is so, it is imperative that man donates to charity, displays compassion with the ones less fortunate than he by performing kind deeds for them, as G’d, seeing this will reciprocate in kind with people who do this. The attribute of G’d that we described as “shadow,” and which David called צל, is known as כה, usually translated as “thus.”
It is well known that the Creator, blessed be His name, is most concerned with doing “good” for His people Israel, as our sages said: “the mother cow is more concerned with giving milk to feed her calf than the calf is desirous of suckling at her teats.”
When man stands in prayer he must recite 18 benedictions, not because otherwise G’d would not grant him his requests, but we must do so in order for G’d to experience joy and satisfaction from us, His creatures.
We must always remember what the sages taught in Avot 2,8 that even if we think that we have studied a great amount of Torah we should not compliment ourselves for this, for all we did was what we have been created to do. Man’s deeds have one purpose and one purpose only, to provide satisfaction for the Creator who gave him life. When man prays (utters requests), he thereby turns himself into a “recipient.” When someone wishes to receive something he extends his hand heavenwards and the back of his hand earthward. When he prays intending to provide his Creator with satisfaction, instead of being a petitioner he turns himself into a “donor.”
The major symbol of the priestly blessings consists of their raising their hands with the backs of their hands facing their faces like someone about to dispense gifts, heavenwards, and the palms of their hands open, pointed earthwards, suggesting that they are about to dispense largesse.
The real interpretation of the verse: כה תברכו את בני ישראל, is: “thus you shall bless the Children of Israel in order that the Creator shall have pleasure from them and in order that thereby you will become dispenser of pleasure instead of remaining petitioners waiting for a Divine handout.” As a consequence of this, the Creator will feel encouraged to dispense all manner of blessings on Israel. This is the meaning of the attribute described here as כה, i.e. just as Israel does something for the pleasure of G’d, so He, in turn, will reciprocate by doing things for Israel, His people.
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Kedushat Levi
Before answering this question we must first understand a verse in psalms 34,16 in which David describes עיני ה' אל צדיקים ואזניו אל שועתם, G’d’s “eyes” as trained on the righteous, whereas His “ears” as tuned in to their prayers. How does an ordinary Jew, one who has been brought up to believe that G’d is not corporeal, does not possess a body, etc.,” relate to David describing physical organs as performing acts for which physical organs are required? Is it not one of the basic 13 “dogmas” of Maimonides that (article 3) “the Creator blessed be his name is not a body and He is free from all the properties of matter and that he has not any form whatsoever?”
Actually, King David, in the verse quoted from psalms 34,16 intended to convey to us a very important point. The Midrash speaking about psalms 121,5 ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “the Lord is your shadow, on your right side,” points out that just as the shadow of a human being accompanies him wherever he goes whenever he goes there, so G’d accompanies man. David’s message therefore is that when man, in his capacity of being a servant of the Creator acts accordingly, G’d on His part will act as if He were the “shadow” of this tzaddik, as if He were copying what the tzaddik does in the lower regions of the universe, in His own region in the celestial spheres. When man “enthrones” G’d by his words and actions, when his soul nightly ascends to the celestial regions it will find that the angels have prepared a great welcome for him as they have heard about his accomplishments on behalf of the Creator in the lower regions of the universe. If we were to illustrate this relationship by means of a parable, consider this.
A young son has performed an intelligent act, (according to his age and mental capacity). When this comes to his father’s attention, the father will boast about his son’s accomplishment, i.e. he will take some or most of the credit for his son’s achievement. He will do so, although, when measured by the father’s level of intelligence the son’s achievement is really insignificant.
The important factor here is that although the son is only five years old in our parable, and as such possesses the intellect of a five-year old, the father is entitled to rejoice over the fact that his son has fulfilled all the expectations a father could have of a five-year old. The same applies to human beings who serve their Creator. They are not expected by the Creator to display the intellectual maturity of the Creator Himself. Perhaps this is what David had in mind when he said in psalms 111,10 ראשית חכמה יראת ה' שכל טוב לכל עושיהם, “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, all who practice it gain sound understanding.” It makes perfect sense therefore that when G’d looks at the tzaddikim and He observes how these physical human beings perform the commandments in the Torah and how they live up to their potential, it gives Him an opportunity to demonstrate to the myriads of celestial servants of His, that in creating a human being and endowing this species with the ability to rebel against Him through the free will He granted them, He had not erred. When a human being does good with his eyes, i.e. he displays compassion for his less fortunate peers, G’d “engraves” this fact on His throne to serve Him as a constant reminder of this fact. The same is true when a Jew “listens” to the commandments of the Torah when he hears them read out, and as a result performs them. As a reminder, G’d engraves “ears” on His throne
Actually, King David, in the verse quoted from psalms 34,16 intended to convey to us a very important point. The Midrash speaking about psalms 121,5 ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “the Lord is your shadow, on your right side,” points out that just as the shadow of a human being accompanies him wherever he goes whenever he goes there, so G’d accompanies man. David’s message therefore is that when man, in his capacity of being a servant of the Creator acts accordingly, G’d on His part will act as if He were the “shadow” of this tzaddik, as if He were copying what the tzaddik does in the lower regions of the universe, in His own region in the celestial spheres. When man “enthrones” G’d by his words and actions, when his soul nightly ascends to the celestial regions it will find that the angels have prepared a great welcome for him as they have heard about his accomplishments on behalf of the Creator in the lower regions of the universe. If we were to illustrate this relationship by means of a parable, consider this.
A young son has performed an intelligent act, (according to his age and mental capacity). When this comes to his father’s attention, the father will boast about his son’s accomplishment, i.e. he will take some or most of the credit for his son’s achievement. He will do so, although, when measured by the father’s level of intelligence the son’s achievement is really insignificant.
The important factor here is that although the son is only five years old in our parable, and as such possesses the intellect of a five-year old, the father is entitled to rejoice over the fact that his son has fulfilled all the expectations a father could have of a five-year old. The same applies to human beings who serve their Creator. They are not expected by the Creator to display the intellectual maturity of the Creator Himself. Perhaps this is what David had in mind when he said in psalms 111,10 ראשית חכמה יראת ה' שכל טוב לכל עושיהם, “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, all who practice it gain sound understanding.” It makes perfect sense therefore that when G’d looks at the tzaddikim and He observes how these physical human beings perform the commandments in the Torah and how they live up to their potential, it gives Him an opportunity to demonstrate to the myriads of celestial servants of His, that in creating a human being and endowing this species with the ability to rebel against Him through the free will He granted them, He had not erred. When a human being does good with his eyes, i.e. he displays compassion for his less fortunate peers, G’d “engraves” this fact on His throne to serve Him as a constant reminder of this fact. The same is true when a Jew “listens” to the commandments of the Torah when he hears them read out, and as a result performs them. As a reminder, G’d engraves “ears” on His throne
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Kedushat Levi
At this point the author introduces an interpretation of psalms 121,5 by the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory, which he feels is relevant to our verse. The psalmist there says: ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “the Lord is your shadow (protection) at your right hand.” According to the Baal Shem Tov, the meaning of these words is that the manner in which G’d protects and guides man’s fate is similar to the shadow that accompanies man at all times. It follows that when the Jewish people recited the song after their salvation from the Egyptian armies, G’d, “their shadow” did likewise. The word ישיר in the opening verse of the song is in a causative mode, hiphil, so that the appropriate translation of the words: אז ישיר משה, would be: “at that time Moses would cause Him to sing.” Through Israel’s singing a song, G’d too would be prompted to join in. When viewed in this way the word: לאמור, makes perfect sense in the traditional manner in which it is understood elsewhere.
Having recorded these details prepared the ground for G’d Himself to join in the shirah, the song that Moses is about to intone after the people are credited with having absolute faith in him. The word: לאמור in 15,1 is an allusion to G’d joining in this song.
Having recorded these details prepared the ground for G’d Himself to join in the shirah, the song that Moses is about to intone after the people are credited with having absolute faith in him. The word: לאמור in 15,1 is an allusion to G’d joining in this song.
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Kedushat Levi
It is well known that it is G’d’s intention to confer blessings and benefits on His creatures; however, there are times when the benefits remain in the realm of the celestial regions, never reaching its addressees, whereas on other occasions these benefits are executed so that they become visible and felt by its recipients. The Baal Shem tov of blessed memory dwelled on this when he explained the verse ה' צלך על יד ימינך, “the Lord is your shadow, always on your right.” (psalms 121,5) He explained that just as the shadow reflects its owner’s movements, so G’d’s dealings with His creatures reflect these creatures’ deeds. If man emulates G’d’s attribute of Mercy in dealing with his fellow man, G’d can be depended upon to deal similarly with that creature also. The Talmud Shabbat 151 phrases it thus: כל המרחם עם הבריות מרחמין עליו, “anyone who has shown mercy to the creatures will experience that when called for G’d will deal mercifully with him.” If man practices the advice of the sages to be משמח בחלקו, “to accept always with good cheer what fate has in store for him,” he will find that G’d will respond to his virtues in kind. This is what the Midrash says on the verse in psalms 121,5. It follows that when man possesses the faith that G’d will help him through some major problem that faces him, he can rest assured that G’d will indeed do so [if G’d feels that this is for this person’s benefit. We do not always know what is good for us. Ed.] If a person forever worries about where his parnassah, livelihood, will come from, he is liable to experience that “G’d, acting like a shadow, shares in his worries, rather than provides the solution.”
[The author continues with exegesis of the verse in psalms 121,5 at length. As this is very repetitious and germane primarily to someone writing a commentary on psalms, I have decided to omit this. Ed.]
[The author continues with exegesis of the verse in psalms 121,5 at length. As this is very repetitious and germane primarily to someone writing a commentary on psalms, I have decided to omit this. Ed.]
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